


Debut

by maliwanhellfire



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Krem in a suit, end of year dance, parental crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 16:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5792011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maliwanhellfire/pseuds/maliwanhellfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Krem goes to his end of year dance. His dads deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Debut

**Author's Note:**

> For prompt one of Krem Story Time, Krem's father/son relationship with the Iron Bull.

Krem wasn't sure if it was possible to die of embarrassment, but he was damn well going to try. 

"Please stop," Krem said, imploring.

Bull had actual tears in his eyes, and all from seeing Krem in a suit. Krem hadn’t even fixed his tie yet.

“Can’t,” Bull said.

“At least put the camera down,” Krem replied.

The flash went off, and Krem blinked through the sunspots it left in his eyes. Once the haze was gone, the first thing he saw was Bull smiling at him. It was a softer expression than Bull usually allowed, so dedicated as he was to bombast.

“Oh, look at you,” Bull said. “All grown up and… participating in strange, human rituals.”

“It’s a dance.”

“Esoteric ceremony.”

“It’s an end-of-year dance, Bull. I know Qunari dance too, you told me.”

“I’m proud of you, kid,” Bull said, his lip actually wobbling.

Krem pretended that his chest didn’t hurt, suddenly and sharply, and in a manner that was not entirely unpleasant.

“Thanks,” Krem said. “I, um, thanks.”

Bull sniffled, loudly.

 

\---

 

Living with Bull was never supposed to be a permanent thing. It was supposed to be a medium-length stay, while everything got sorted with Social Services, but it didn’t work out that way.

“No matter what happens,” his Dad had said. “Know that I love you.”

There was a long time where Krem didn’t believe him.

 

\---

 

“Hi,” Krem said.

He was grinning so hard his face hurt, even though he had so badly wanted to play it cool. He couldn’t help it.

“Hi,” Maryden replied.

It was alright, because Maryden was smiling like a fool, too. She looked beautiful, with her hair and her eyes and her everything. And she was wearing a dress that was also very pretty, and very well constructed, Krem thought, in a moment of sharp, nostalgic clarity. Krem swallowed the thought back down where it belonged.

“Hi,” Krem said again, and they both laughed.

The flash went off.

“Don’t mind me,” Bull said, looking up from the viewfinder.

“You look so grown up…” Mrs Halewell said.

“I said the exact same thing when I saw him in his suit for the first time,” Bull said.

“It’s so true though,” Mrs Halewell replied.

Maryden rolled her eyes and looped her arm through Krem’s. She stole a kiss against his cheek, and his face went bright hot. She laughed, warm and pleased, and Krem mirrored her. Maybe he was still unsure about what to do and what to say, but so was everybody else getting dressed up for the first time and posing next to their front garden’s flower beds. It was ridiculous, and normal.

The flash went off again, and then once more. Mrs Halewell had found her camera.

 

\---

 

Krem first met Bull on a Friday night. His stay had been unexpected, and organized at the last minute by a very harried looking social worker. She’d dropped him off with little more than a pat on the shoulder and a _good luck_. She’d driven off half a minute after Bull opened his door.

“Rough night, huh kid?” Bull asked, waving Krem inside.

He hadn’t spoken to Bull much that first night, had been too wary of him to try. Bull’s height and volume had put Krem off, and that was on top of the fact that Bull was a stranger, and he’d always been taught to be wary of those. Bull had made him a grilled cheese sandwich, and let him pick a movie to watch.

Bull didn’t even complain, when Krem woke up at four am the next day, screaming from nightmares so vivid that he still remembered them.

“I want my dad!” Krem had sobbed. “I want to go home.”

“Shhh,” Bull had said, knowing better than to promise anything. “We’ll see what we can do. You’re alright.”

Krem had been eight, at the time.

 

\---

 

“You should take a selfie before we get in the car,” Bull said, while they waited for Maryden to grab her purse.

“Bull…” Krem said, head lolling back in exasperation.

“It’d be something you could forward to your dad,” Bull said. “Tide him over until I get these developed.”

“Oh,” Krem said.

He had thought of it, truthfully, but talking to his father had become new again, and while he tentatively pleased by the development, he couldn’t shake the guilt he felt, allowing his father into his life when Bull had been the one to… when Bull had done _everything_. When Bull had been everything, for so many years.

All that, even though Bull had encouraged the connection and continued to do so.

“Would you mind… never mind,” Krem said, fumbling with his phone.

“Want me to take it?” Bull asked. “Get you and Maryden in the picture.”

“Thanks, that’d be… yeah,” Krem said.

Krem cringed a little, entirely at himself. He’d lost all ability to speak over the course of one night.

“Hey,” Bull said. “You know we’re _both_ proud of you. You’re a great kid.”

Bull’s hand engulfed his shoulder, firm and reassuring. Krem leaned forward, turning it into a hug. Bull held on, with just the right amount of strength, like he always did. He let go just as Maryden appeared on her front steps again.

 

\---

 

Krem got the reply text while they were still in the car.

“Oh, look at you!” his dad wrote, in Tevene. “I can’t believe my son’s all grown up.”

 

\---

 

“You know, Dalish has two dads,” Bull said, a month later, over cereal.

“Not quite the same thing,” Krem said.

He said it smiling though, so Bull would know he didn’t mind.

“Just saying, not like it’s weird or anything,” Bull replied.

Krem huffed out a laugh and grinned at his breakfast. When he looked up, Bull was looking at him fondly.

“Sure thing, old man,” Krem replied.

Bull smiled back. Krem knew he’d work his way up to it, but it wouldn’t do to say it immediately. He’d finish eating first.   


End file.
